Feb. 23, 2011
LAKELAND, Fla. -- You have to feel for Clete Thomas. The last few years the old adage, "if he didn't have bad luck, he wouldn't have any at all" applied to him. Hopefully that is over.
Thomas spent the majority of the 2008 season in Toledo and then was called up to the Tigers May 30.
In 40 games with the big league club, Thomas hit .284 with one home run and nine RBIs. Although he was sent back down July 15, he showed great progress by batting .360 with three doubles, a triple, a home run and 10 RBIs in 13 games.
Then Thomas went on the disabled list with a sprained right elbow. Unfortunately, rest didn't help and Thomas underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery on Sept. 11.
After recovering from the elbow problem, Thomas had a nice 2009, spending 45 games with the Mud Hens and 102 with the Tigers. He batted .240 with seven home runs and 39 RBIs for the Tigers.
Looking to build on his solid season, Thomas was hit with the injury bug again last season. He only played 21 games for the Mud Hens before going on the disabled list with left knee inflammation.
In June, Thomas underwent microfracture surgery on the knee in Vail, Colorado.
"My elbow, and then I get back and get a year, then a knee," Thomas said. "It's been tough. You start playing good, you get your foot in the door and then you get hurt. It's kind of like, when's it going to stop?"
Thomas, who said his microfracture knee surgery was a different part of the knee than Carlos Guillen's, said he understood why they wanted that procedure, but the recovery was long.
"The big part of the microfracture is actually letting the blood turn back into actually working cartilage," Thomas said. "That was two months on crutches, I can't put weight on my leg. That's, I guess, the hardest part, because you can't really do anything."
Now that he can do everything without restrictions, Thomas said he's in a good frame of mind.
"I feel good about this year, I feel healthy coming into it, I'm ready to go," he said. "Knowing that everything's healthy, just come in and play hard. Nothing I can do other than that."
Thomas is still only 27 and just two years removed from being considered the best outfield arm in the Tigers organization by Baseball America.
"He looks great," manager Jim Leyland said. "There doesn't appear to be any restrictions. He's pounding the ball to all fields. Clete, he's one of our favorites, really. He's a four-tools guy. He's got a lot of tools. He can run, he can throw, he can hit with power. His basic thing is to keep the swing short enough to get to the pitch that's up in the zone that's a strike."
Leyland said he'd keep an eye on Thomas this spring but wanted to make sure that he didn't over-do it on his surgically repaired knee. Leyland said you can't dismiss players like Thomas, Brennan Boesch, Will Rhymes, Danny Worth and non-roster invitee Andy Dirks.
Thomas is just happy he's still one of those players "in the mix" to make the team.
"It feels great, knowing that they still have confidence in me and my name is still in their heads," Thomas said. "It's a great opportunity. Just go out and work hard and do everything that God gave me the talent to do."
And if he doesn't make the Tigers this spring?
"I'm still happy about being healthy, go to Toledo and play hard there, try to work up from there," Thomas said.
Life without Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera's locker is right outside Leyland's door. Although there was no new news Wednesday on Cabrera, Leyland admitted he missed his big first baseman.
"We're just going about our business, getting ready," Leyland said. "Do I miss seeing him? Yeah. But hopefully I'll see him soon. We'll be ready March 31st. I miss him, I really miss him. That just has to be worked out, but we're just going about our business."
Leyland repeated Wednesday after the morning workouts that Cabrera was his first baseman and he was not grooming anyone to replace him. But other players will play at first base, at least in the interim.
"I'm not really worried about four or five spring training games," Leyland said. "I'm worried about Opening Day.
"I'll tinker around with it, maybe play Victor (Martinez) over there once in a while, maybe Kelly over there once in a while," Leyland said. "We've got some kids -- the (Ryan) Strieby kid, he's a tremendous-looking prospect, play him over there. He'll get some time.
Cabrera, who was arrested last Wednesday on charges of driving under the influence and resisting arrest without violence, remains on leave from camp. He was to meet early this week with doctors, who are to recommend the next best step.
Not a setback
After a few days of noting how good Guillen looked, Leyland took a small step back from that Wednesday.
"This is why I've been telling you guys all along that you have to be careful," Leyland said. "It's not a red flag but there was a little soreness (Tuesday). We expected that. That's why I'm just leaving it the way it's supposed to be left and we'll go from there."
Unlike Thomas, Guillen, who underwent microfracture surgery in September, still has some restrictions on what he can do.
Porcello vs. Verlander
Rick Porcello and Justin Verlander are on the same baseball team but that doesn't mean the two aren't highly competitive with each other.
Porcello told Verlander that he claimed to be a better golfer in a video interview with FOXSportsDetroit.com.
After the morning workout, Verlander said, "Why don't you ask him why, if he's so good, I give him three strokes when we play? That's six strokes!"
Verlander said he would be happy to play Porcello, straight up, to decide the matter once and for all.
